Given we are not in the final tier of content, it will be far closer to when they expect to have 5.2 out (which most likely won't be til after the holidays).

5.1 is close to dropping, likely in the next 2-3 weeks. That puts us right up to the start of December. 5.2 won't drop before Christmas (We might see it on the PTR by then).

Games are not necessarily "easier" today. You are just a better player.
It takes more now to impress many gamers than it did 2-5 years ago, because so much has already been seen and done.
Many players expect to be wow'd with every release of a beloved franchise.
These are generally NOT the fault of the developers, but the fault of many players over-hyping and/or setting expectations too high.

So, does it work like heroic lockouts where only one person needs to have the empress kill, or does the entire raid need to have killed empress? I ask because I missed the raid last week for the kill on empress, but the entire rest of the raid has killed her.